Tower Hamlets council voted in 2023 to lift the number of major event days allowed in Victoria Park from 10 to 12. Doesn't sound like a big change, but what's the result in summer 2025? The park is now hosting two major festivals - Lido and All Points East - meaning large swathes of land are fenced off for two whole months (June/August). The festivals now occupy an entire month of summer weekends (two weekends each festival) during which the park is very loud and busy. On top of the actual festival days, each event brings 4m high prison-vibe fence walls to the most lush, tree-lined parts of the east park for weeks on end. 

If we don't show the council that this commercialisation of Victoria Park has gone too far and that locals will not stand for this beloved green space being turned into a cash cow, then summers for years to come will be marred by massive fences, with locals being penned in to other areas that are increasingly busy. In peak summer, the residents of Tower Hamlets deserve more than just one month of uninterrupted use of their park. 

Sign our petition now to tell Tower Hamlets council that enough is enough and that they need to preserve Victoria Park for its intended purpose as a recreational green space for locals - it is not an event arena! We urge them to:

Renegotiate the festival contracts for 2026-2027 to limit major event days and fencing disruption

Cut back major event days permitted to a more reasonable number, ensuring locals can benefit from full, free use of the park throughout a majority of summer months 

Ensure that the major event policy must take into account total disruption from an event set-up and take-down, not just the single day of an event